S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a first-person shooter video game developed by GSC Game World and published by THQ in 2007 following a long development. It is the first game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise, set in an alternate reality where a second disaster of mysterious origin occurred at the Chernobyl exclusion zone, which further contaminated the surrounding area with radiation, and caused strange otherworldly changes in local fauna, flora, and the laws of physics. The background and some of the terminology of the game are borrowed from the 1971 novella Roadside Picnic and its 1979 film adaptation Stalker.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA, read 5 September 2026.
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- Released
- 2007
- Developer
- GSC Game World
- Platforms
- 1 systems
- Critics
- Not scored
- Steam Deck
- Unknown
- Download
- Not stated
The record
| First released | 20 March 2007 |
|---|---|
| Developer | GSC Game World |
| Publisher | E Frontier, GSC Game World, cdp.pl |
| Platforms | PC |
| Genres | First-Person Shooter, Horror |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q215861, seeded 30 August 2026.
How long is S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl? How long to beat it
Total play time for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is about 41.2 hours to do everything, and around 15.1 hours to reach the end of the main story. These are player-submitted times from HowLongToBeat, not our own, shown with the number of players behind each.
| How you play | Hours | Players logged |
|---|---|---|
| Just the main story: straight through the critical path | 15.1h | 363 |
| Main + the extras: story plus the side content most people do | 24.1h | 518 |
| Completionist: everything: 100% the game | 41.2h | 80 |
Source: HowLongToBeat community submissions, read 2026-10-19.
Where S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl sits on the grid
The grid places every game in the catalogue on measured axes rather than on an opinion. This is where S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl lands on each map it has the data for, with the share of the catalogue it beats on each axis.
- Year
- 70ahead of 22% of the catalogue
- Reach
- 67ahead of 98% of the catalogue
Percentiles are against the games that carry a reading on that axis, not the whole catalogue: counting a game with no figure as a zero would flatter everything that has one. How the grid works.
What readers say about S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Reviews written by people who have played it. These are separate from the GamingPickz Score and are never averaged into it: that score comes from thousands of Steam reviews with a sample-size correction, and a handful of unverified ratings would distort it rather than improve it.
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Where S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl appears
The ranked lists and finder pages S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl qualifies for, from its own genre and platform to what it takes to run.
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Part of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is one of 4 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games we track. See the whole series ranked by the GamingPickz Score, plotted on the grid, and listed in release order:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl head to head
See S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl compared side by side, on score, price, specs and more:
Common questions about S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
What platforms is S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is available on PC. It first released in 2007.
Who made S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was developed by GSC Game World and published by E Frontier, GSC Game World, cdp.pl.
How long does it take to beat S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl?
about 15.1 hours for the main story, 24.1 hours with the main extras, 41.2 hours to complete everything, from HowLongToBeat's player-submitted times. These are community medians, so your own run may be shorter or longer.